Murder in the Chem Lab
by dRaGoNgUrL1
Summary: um... has barely anything to do with a murder in a chem lab actually er... well, ok, so it kinda does... ish...... it's a SetoSerenity fic based on my experience at high school... full summary with first chapter!
1. Things Just Can't Get Any Worse

Murder in the Chem Lab

Ooo, I swore to myself I'd have this done months ago... The time just flew by. Anyway, here's the story. It's sort of based on my friends and their relationships to each other but it's kind of not… you'll see. This is a Seto/Serenity fanfic (where of course Serenity is me!!!) that takes place in my high school. It's a long story how the idea came about but it's romance/mystery/humor (with some angst too I think…) and a lot of it is actually true (and actually the name's pretty stupid cuz this has nothing to do with a murder in the Chem lab… well, o-k, originally it was supposed to be a small scene but I think it's been deleted…). Note, this is rated R for a reason. Not so much this chapter but definitely in future ones. (Mainly for language, later it gets very graphic.) NO YAOI!!! NONE!!! No Tea either, I'm not too fond of her (though now that I think of it, she was in the original version I had planned…)... And "Yugi" here is Yami Yugi. I'd rather only deal with one of them right now cuz this gets complicated... Would you like to know some of the pairings? Oh well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out! J. I tried to "capture the essence" of a typical student at my school… or really at any school… by the way I don't own YuGiOh or my high school or the people in it, nor do I wish to own YuGiOh or my high school or the people in it. Here we go. _(Italics means thoughts)_

**Chapter 1- Things just can't get any worse...**

            "Hey Yug!" Joey screams. "Watch it! Dat's way too much MgSO4!!!" 

"Ah! O, sorry Joey...  I can't mess this up again..." Yugi dumps the contents of the beaker back into his transfer beaker and carefully measures out the right amount. "We don't want a repeat of last time...unless you'd really enjoy summer school with Mrs. P!"

            "Sorry Yug, but HELL NO!!! You're right, we can't mess dis one up!" 

            This is the second time their chemistry class had done the experiment; the first time was a total disaster. Yugi would rather forget it- the screaming students, the horrified look on his teacher's face... the shocked firefighters when they arrived at the scene... As he recalled the day's events, his face contorted into a grimace. It had turned out to be a day of pure mayhem, and from that day on Yugi has felt that he is destined to fail chemistry. Their teacher, Mrs. P, was strict and overbearing. She lived to catch the slightest mistake in anything and everything her students did, claiming "I only want to prepare you for college!" She was like a lioness just waiting for the kill, and, Yugi had a gut feeling, he was to be the prey. Yugi knew it was only a matter of time before she would attack, and he hoped with all his heart that it would be quick and painless. 

            The bell rings and everyone quickly scrambles to get to lunch. "What?! Dat bell is early!" Joey exclaims in frustration. "You should've been done Joseph! Hurry and clean up, you can start over after school -in Detention." Mrs. P leaves the lab to chastise a few students who are running down the halls. "HEY! STOP WHERE YOU ARE!!"

            An expression of pure loathing rushes onto Joey's face. "Aw man! Not anotha detention! That's 3 in the last 2 hours!" 

"Damn, that sucks! You just got a Saturday!" 

Mrs. P suddenly sticks her head back into the room. "Yugi, your shirt is untucked, your socks are below your ankles, and you don't have your ID. You're a Junior, Yugi Mutou, you should know better! See you on Saturday boys!" and she leaves.

            Yugi just stands there looking dejected. 

            "Aw man Yug! She gave ya 3 in one shot! Dere goes ya perfect record! And ya got a Saturday!" 

            Yugi says nothing but frowns, his brow deeply furrowed in frustration. _Why does she torment me so?!_

            Both boys silently stop for a minute, not speaking a word but staring at the shoe-scuffed floor. They glance up and catch each other's eye. Neither will admit it aloud, but it is obvious that they are thinking the same thing- things just can't get any worse.

            Just down the hall, Mai and Serenity are leaving their Honors Geo/Trig class. "I HATE THIS CLASS!!!" Mai screams as she tugs furiously on her long blonde (well conditioned) locks. "HOW DOES SHE EXPECT ME TO DO ALL THIS?!? IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" Serenity attempts to calm her frantic friend, though she herself is not at all appeased. "Mai, calm down! It's not... that... bad... Monday's are always a little hard…" Serenity bites her lip to keep from bursting into tears. _It's not that bad… it's worse! _

            The girls were far behind the rest of the class in both class work and tests. It's not that they don't understand the work. They have enough to do already, juggling schoolwork with their after-school jobs while still trying to enjoy life to the fullest.  Hundreds of memories of life before high school flash through Serenity's mind: She and Joey playing on the swings at the park. Joey surrounded by all his friends at his 13th birthday party, Serenity holding a huge birthday cake in front of him, and they blow out his candles together. Suddenly her memories turn dark: Joey coming home from his first day of high school exhausted and irritable. Joey sitting in the kitchen for hours upon hours trying to finish reports and homework for school the next day, his face and shirt drenched in sweat, his eyelids ever drooping, his already unkempt hair even messier as he tugs at it in frustration. Their parents disappointment at Joey's extremely low grades and their threat to send him to military school if his grades didn't get better. 

            Serenity snaps out of her dismal reverie and bursts out in anguished tears despite her attempts. "I can't take any more of this!" _This is not how high school was supposed to be! It's not fair! _ She runs down the deserted hallway and crashes into none other than Seto Kaiba. Serenity gets up without so much as glancing at Seto and runs into the girls' bathroom. 

            "Watch it Wheeler!" Seto stares after her, slightly irritated. Somehow that girl always manages to bump into him. _Bumbling little ditz..._ He loathed her family with a passion. _At least it wasn't that stupid mutt she calls her brother... _Despite his hatred of the Wheelers, he still felt strongly attracted to the girl. There's just something about her... _Why do I like her so much?! She's a fuckin' Wheeler! But still… doesn't matter anyway, I heard she's dating that Taylor guy, the one with the hair that could put an eye out… as if I care… besides, if we were to go out, where'd we go, the petting zoo?! She's just a sophomore, and juniors NEVER date sophomores!_

            "Hey, Kaiba, get outta the way!" Seto is yanked out of his thoughts and into reality. Mai is standing in front of him, hands on her hips. "I said move it Kaiba!" Seto looks around. He is sprawled unceremoniously on the floor in front of the girls' bathroom. He quickly jumps to his feet and roughly brushes past Mai, turns around the corner, and calmly struts down the stairs. _Girls… _

            Mai rushes into the bathroom and spies Serenity curled up in a concealed corner sobbing madly. Her hair is disheveled and crumpled up tissues surround her. Mai sits next to Serenity and hugs her. "Don't worry. It'll be all right. We'll get through it together. It'll all be ok..." 

            Both girls sit on the floor talking until Serenity feels   better and is ready to leave. Just as they push open the door and go into the hallway, Mr. Grim, the Hall Nazi*, spots them. "Girls! What are you doing out of class! Where are your hall passes?!" 

Serenity turns to Mai. Mai starts to explain. "Sorry, Serenity wasn't feeling well and couldn't get to the nurse in time so we stopped in the bathroom at the end of lunch. I stayed with her until she felt a little better." 

" If your story is true you've missed an entire class already." Mai and Serenity's eyes swing to the clock. 

"Oh no!" Serenity groans. 

"Truancy! I'll have to write you both up for Saturday suspensions..." The girls sigh, frustrated and near tears, and follow Mr. Grim downstairs. He escorts them to the dean's office, writes something on a sticky note, and then leaves. 

Mai and Serenity sit on hard plastic chairs and wait for the Dean to come. Both are scared and silent for a while. Serenity is first to break the ice. "I'm so sorry Mai, this is all my fault!" 

"Nonsense. I chose to stay with you, we're friends. It'll be alright... don't worry." 

Serenity can't help but worry. _Joey'll be so disappointed... this is going on my permanent record! I can pretty much kiss National Honor Society good-bye! They'll never let me in now… And my parents… ugh, I don't even want to think about what they'll do… Things can't get any worse..._

END CHAPTER 1 

So, what'd u think? Yea this one's a little short… O, and a Hall Nazi (copyrighted! By everyone at my school that is…) is what we call the teachers and staff that patrol the halls between classes. They're evil!!! REVIEW!!! Please! This will get better I promise! Flame if you think it's that bad! It's 12:43 AM right now and I haven't slept in days! O, and I don't own Post-it Notes. Well, I own a lot of them but it wasn't my idea… shame… Genius invention… but if anyone who does own it wants to sell it, call me!!! Ooo, I have ideas for the next chapter, off to start it.  ^^"  …please review. 


	2. You're Not Alone

I still don't own YuGiOh or the people in my school or my school… or the secret pool on the roof of my school… no, I can own that… if I find it… Chapter 2-  You're not alone… 

            _Can this day get any worse? First the Wheeler girl, now the mutt and the short little spiky haired kid…O, and of course Dice Boy and what's his name… the guy with hair that could put an eye out…_His eyes widen. _Her boyfriend…. _Seto has come across Joey, Yugi, Duke Devlin, and Tristan Taylor in the media center during the lunch hour and, as usual, Joey is mouthing off. "Hey look guys, it's the pretty little rich boy!" Joey pranced around swinging an imaginary briefcase and glancing at a pretend watch every 5 seconds or so. "I'm going to be late for my meeting with the King of England! I'll lose a whole dollar if I don't show up!" Tristan and Duke fall to the floor, their sides aching from peals of laughter. Seto glares at them, then calmly turns and walks towards the door. "Aw, is the little rich boy afraid of Joey Wheeler?! O, I think Kaiba-boy's scared! He's goin' to get his big bad bodyguards to come and beat me up cuz he's too afraid to come near me!  He's nothin' but a big wimpy loser!" Yugi cracks a grin and bursts out laughing.

Seto's face turns bright red in rage. _I've had enough of that stupid little mutt!!!_ He wheels around with such ferocity that Joey doesn't have time to react. Yugi, Duke and Tristan back away as quickly as possible, barely avoiding the attack. Yugi panics and runs to find a teacher. Joey collapses on the ground under a barrage of well-placed kicks and punches. Seto grabs him off the floor and slams his head into a nearby desk.  "You fuckin' bastard! No one calls Seto Kaiba a loser and lives!" Seto's bright blue eyes are aflame with abhorrence. Never has he been in such a fury. He has only 1 goal in mind: to destroy Joey Wheeler for the last time. He stands before the prone blood-spattered figure, his muscles bulging under his white polo shirt, ready to strike. Sensing the impending attack, Joey crawls to a corner and is crouching there, too injured to fight back, but screaming for Duke and Tristan to help. Seto makes his move, kicking Joey mercilessly.  "Get up Wheeler! Dogs-Should-Not-Disobey-Their-Masters!!!" Joey slumps in the corner unconscious and bleeding heavily. Duke and Tristan try to rush over to him but Seto blocks them. "Die!" and he swings a punch, aiming for their stunned faces. Duke and Tristan flinch and wait for the strike, but it never comes. 

"Boys!" They look up. Mr. Grim, who had heard Joey's screams and rumors of a fight and had come to investigate, is holding Seto by the back of his shirt. Another teacher is assisting Joey, who is still unconscious and lying motionless in the corner.  "Fighting in school? Tsk Tsk… Come with me gentlemen." He leads them to the Dean's office and stops before the unopened door. "Hmm… Duke Devlin…Tristan Taylor…and Yugi Mutou…come with me. Seto Kaiba, you'll wait in here." He leaves with Yugi, Tristan and Duke trailing behind him miserably. Seto enters the Dean's office prepared for the worst. _Why the hell did I explode like that? _

After Mai and Serenity had been waiting for nearly 20 minutes, the dean calls Mai into his office. Mai gives her friend a quick and  hopeful smile and walks into the small office, leaving Serenity alone to wait. Serenity gapes after her, wide-eyed, hating the idea of being left alone.  She stares at the worn fraying gray carpeting of the little waiting room as it slowly dampens with her salty tears. "Mai's in trouble because of me! Why can't I do anything right?!" she sobs to herself. 

"Because you're a Wheeler!" Serenity's head snaps up, her furious eyes ablaze. Seto is sitting on the plastic chair next to her, smirking. He leans towards her slowly. "But that's no reason to cry." His voice is surprisingly comforting and quiet. Seto gently strokes Serenity's tear-stained face, his smooth hand sliding down her flushed cheek, tucking her long brown hair behind one ear and continuing down her neck and to her shoulders. _Is this the same guy that I bumped into earlier?!  _Serenity can't help but notice the way his close-fitting white polo shirt with their school logo on it accentuates his lean, muscular body. _Wow…but that doesn't make up for what he said! _ She studies Seto's face, searching for even the slightest hint of amusement or fraud, but she finds none, not even the smirk that was once there. Serenity tries to pull away but something inside doesn't want to. _What's wrong with me?! This is Seto Kaiba! _Suddenly the office door opens. "Miss Wheeler, come in please." Serenity, grateful for a distraction, quickly separates herself from Seto's hand and hurries into the office, closing the oaken door behind her.  Before taking a seat beside Mai, Serenity gazes out the window, entranced by the gentle snowfall. It seems so calm and peaceful out there, very much unlike the turmoil of thoughts and feelings inside her.

Oddly enough the school grounds are not at all as peaceful as Serenity thought. Outside, up on the snow-covered roof, Marik and Bakura are singing their own versions of Christmas carols. "And since we can't take over the world (yet!)… Frozen precipitate commence, frozen precipitate commence, frozen precipitate commence! Later on, we'll conspire! As we practice our evil laughs by the fire!" 

"That isn't how the song goes…" Marik and Bakura jump in surprise and stare down towards the icy ground looking for the one who had spoken. "You're both getting Saturday Suspensions for this!" A grinning Mr. Grim is standing in front of the main doors, staring up at them and shaking his head . _Not even1 o'clock  yet and I've already given out 9 suspensions! _ _Heh heh, maybe I'll even get a raise!_ He strides up to the roof grinning to himself, grabs Marik and Bakura, and drags them screaming into the building. 

"Let me go or prepare to be sent to the Shadow Realm!!! You won't get away with this! We shall get freeeeee!!!"

Seto stares at Serenity's empty seat. _She's so… beautiful… No! She's a Wheeler! Off limits! … But since when does Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp., have limits?! If I want her, I'll get her! But I can't believe she's related to that idiot! _He sighs heavily and walks out of the office, apathetic to the fact that the dean was waiting to speak with him. Seto takes a quick glance at the clock on the wall-1:42. _One more hour to go… Then I'll find that Wheeler, and I will kill him!_

In the nurse's office just past the main entrance, Yugi, Tristan, and Duke are gathered around a little bed in the corner. "Joey! Joey, wake up!" Yugi gently nudges Joey's arm, but Joey barely stirs. "He's been like this since he came in, hon…" the nurse says to him quietly as she bandages Joey's wounds. His bare body is covered in bruises and there is a deep cut above his left eye, but all of the blood that once covered his face has been cleaned off.  "There's a chance he won't fully recover… he's in a coma… I'll let you boys have a minute alone with him." The nurse leaves the room to get more bandages. 

Duke stares at Joey's motionless body.  "Come on Wheeler… wake up! You're a lucky kid you know that??? You've actually got people who give a fuck whether you're alive or dead! Don't let them down!" Tristan leans against the wall next to the bed. 

"Yea Joey… Wake up! Kaiba's a fuckin' bastard, we gotta kick his ass, come on, wake up!!!" 

_I can hear them but why can't I see them? _Joey is lost within his mind. _Why can't I wake up? What happened? _His mind is suddenly flooded with the events of the day. _Kaiba! He's gonna pay… No one messes with Joey Wheeler and gets away wit it! _Joey stirs and groans. "Joey!" Yugi is relieved to see that his friend is waking up. 

"Come on boys, time to go…" The three boys look up. The nurse is back, arms full of bandages, prepared to continue bandaging Joey. "You really should be in class now, his parents will be coming to take him. Don't worry he'll be fine. Go on now." The boys leave and return to their classes. Yugi has difficultly concentrating for his thoughts keep interrupting. _Kaiba is such a jerk! Those two will never get along… I hope Joey's alright…_

After school, Mai and Serenity walk home with the rest of the gang. "Hey, where's Joey?" Mai wonders aloud. Tristan, Duke, and Yugi glance at each other and then explain what happened that morning, leaving out nothing. Serenity is shocked to find out what Kaiba did to her brother. "That jerk! And he… Ooo! He's so cruel!! "  "It sounds like Joey had it coming…" Mai tells her. "He's always had a big mouth and never knows when to keep it shut!"  Serenity knows that Mai is right, but she doesn't want to admit it. She hangs her head sadly. _This day just keeps getting worse, doesn't it? Now what???_ The group arrives at the Wheeler's home. "Bye guys… I'll see you tomorrow." 

Serenity quietly enters the house, closing the door behind her before her friends can say anything. She walks as calmly as she can into her bedroom, locks her door shut, and collapses onto her bed in tears. _Why is this happening to me?! Why does Kaiba hate Joey so much?! Why did he touch me like that? Life isn't supposed to be like this! _

Joey can barely keep his eyes open as he lounges on the soft, cushioned couch in his den. He had been lying there for only a few hours, but it felt like days. The electronic phone next to his tightly bandaged hand suddenly vibrates and lets out a piercing ring, startling him. "Hello?" 

"Hey, Joey, are you ok? Nothing's broken is it?" Mai's voice wavers slightly and her breathing is erratic. Joey knows that she is twisting a lock of her wavy golden hair with her fingers- she always does when she's worried. 

"Hey, Mai.  I've been better…a few minor cuts and bruises, nothing I can't handle!  I'm lucky nothin's broken…"  

"I'm glad you're alright. Someone ought to teach that Seto Kaiba a lesson! Honestly, what made him think he could touch you or Ser-"  

"WHAT?!?!" 

"Joey, don't worry, she's fine, he didn't-" 

"Thanks for calling Mai, I gotta go." Not even bothering to put the phone back on the receiver, Joey hobbles as fast as he can to Serenity's bedroom. He stops outside her door to catch his breath and prepare for his conference with his sister.

Serenity hears a soft knock on her door. She ignores it. Again someone knocks, this time slightly harder. "Go away!" she sobs. _Why won't these people just leave me alone?!_ She watches silently as the doorknob is rattled and twisted as this someone still attempts to get into her room. 

Joey stands outside his little sister's bedroom twisting the doorknob as hard as he can. He is still weak and tired from his confrontation with Seto Kaiba.  _I want to see her, I have to see her, now…I have to protect her… why won't she open the door?! What's wrong???_ He knocks on the door again. His throat is sore and badly bruised but he is determined to see his sister. "Seren! Open the door, it's me, Joey!" he manages to croak out. _Joey!_ Serenity flings open the door and throws her arms around her brother. Joey grimaces in pain but hugs her back, her tear-stained face pulled tightly against his chest. 

"Oh Joey, I'm sorry… I can't believe what happened…" She bursts out in tears again. "Everything's so messed up! Mai and I got Saturday Suspensions!" 

"What for?!" 

"I… I'll tell you about it later… Joey, I can't take much more of this…It's too much… I can't handle it by myself! I can't do this alone!" She buries her face in his shirt. 

Joey stares down at Serenity. His usually cheerful baby sister had gone from one extreme to another in less than a day. As quickly as it took for him to get angry, he cools down. Joey doesn't have the heart to scold her… not at a time like this. It can wait. He pulls her closer.  "It's gonna be ok Serenity. I'm here. It'll be ok… You're not alone." 

**End Chapter 2.**

Yea, I wanna end this here.. aww, "big brother moment"! :-D k, so I really wanted to have one of these here cuz my best friend (who really is just like Mai…cept less superficial- you might know her as Mira Nova 23!) is always telling me "you gotta get a brother!" cuz of how I act around our guy friends and I guess I sometimes think of them as brothers… little brothers though cuz they're really annoying and kinda immature most of the time :-D k… anyway, I shortened this a little cuz I really wanna get up to Saturday…that might actually come up in the next chapter… What do you think so far? Is it any good? I'm gonna continue this whether or not I get a lot of reviews anyway cuz this is fun… but review!!! And I'm starting all new (and possibly harder!) classes in a few days so it might take me a little while before I update. 

…I was rereading and editing this and it just occurred to me that our school nurse is outta character! :-D hell, she wouldn't bandage a person if he were bleeding to death… you wanna know what she'd say? "Here, have a cracker, now go back to class!" well, ok, I'm sure she wouldn't send him back to class but she'd give him a cracker and send him to the hospital or something… just wanted to clear that up.  And I'm sorry I hurt Joey, it was an accident- I let my yami write that!!! [Hugs Joey, who winces in pain] Sorry Joey!!! Luckily for me that doesn't really screw things up later! Thanks for reading, review please, and I'm outta here. 


	3. Friday Night Woes on a Starry Sky

I still don't own anything. I think you should know that by now.

ANYWAY, here's stupid chapter 3… well, I don't think it's stupid, but what do I know?! O wait, everything… I think… no, I don't know you, so I guess I don't know everything… but I know some things! I think… Ah, forget it, read on dudes, read on! By the way, skipped straight to Friday, my yami and I did not wish to imagine the boring days in between. In my world, those days are not Important! Welcome to my world! [evil laughter]. You never know what will happen. Well, ok, so maybe you have an idea, but be prepared for surprises! Hey, this is turning out to be a day in the life of me… interesting… yet creepy…ok, so some of this never happened EXACTLY, but it close enough (exaggeration kinda… uh.. .if you don't know, don't ask)! o well, you can start reading it now. And don't forget to review! (--" My title sounds like a Shakespeare play…o duh, there's a reason for that… I don't know what it is yet, I'll get back to you on that…) btw, you may notice that my writing style is very weird… or you may not… but I bet you will… and I don't have an explanation for that just yet… I just like to keep it simple most of the time… at least with stuff like this… (O, and I brought Tea here for this night only!!!) O yea, and I don't own Lucky Charms! Those yummy little sugar-high causing demons belong to General Mills… (wait, wasn't he in the American Revolution?!? …Never mind ")

**Chapter 3- Friday Night Woes on a Starry Sky**

Friday afternoon, Mai sits alone in front of her locker, reading a book for her Honors English class. _Crappy book…Honestly, who really gives a damn about a Puritan adulteress anyway?!… Ooo, so he's the father! As if I care!!!_ She sighs and turns the page, not really noticing the small crowds that brush by without so much as a "sorry." _Stupid stupid people! Who wrote this crap anyway? Hawthorne??? Never heard of him..._

"Damn!" Serenity shoves her books into her locker, slams the door shut, and leans against it. She slides down to the floor.

Mai looks up from her book in surprise. "What happened? You actually cursed so it must be pretty bad…" Serenity says nothing, but a heavy sigh escapes her lips. "Oh, come on Seren, tell me! It can't be all that bad…"

"It's nothing, I'm fine…" _No, not fine! I bombed another math test, I still have to finish planning the Winter Semi- Formal, write that thesis paper for English, start my French paper- which by the way she just told me has to be in French!!! I hate French! I don't even understand what the hell she's trying to say anymore!! And do you know what?! I DON'T CARE!!!! Oh yea, that and I think I like a guy I have no chance with, I have a boyfriend that's, what did I expect, such a guy! And, to top it all off, I'm so stressed out that I can't even think!! _"Just have a little headache is all…" She holds her head in her hands to make her affliction more believable.

"O-k then…" Mai turns back to her book. _Something's not right…_ She doesn't press the matter, but she knows Serenity is keeping something back.

Friday night, Seto stands alone on the roof of the Kaiba Corp building staring at the starry indigo blanket above him. _It's so calm… so…serene… _ _Serenity… _For some reason, he just can't keep his mind off her. In fact, she's why he's on the roof. Here he can be secluded from the rest of the world, alone in his own world to think, to dream, to plan... but of course he could never tell anyone. What would people think of him then? He couldn't make himself seem weak and incapable of running a corporation. Seto's mind drifts back into the sky and thoughts of the one girl he felt he could never reach. A gust of icy wind sends chills up his spine. Tomorrow, Saturday, was the day of his suspension. _With her…_ He winces at his next thought. _And her brother. I can't believe I reacted like that. The little weasel deserved it … but I'm above him; I don't need to kill him to prove it._

Seto leaves his treasured thinking spot and returns to his spacious office. He gives a dismal sigh and sinks into his comfy leather desk chair. _I better get back to work, there's no getting ahead if I fall behind…_ Seto glances around the room. Somehow the office just doesn't seem all that grand compared to the roof. Sure, he has the best technology, and capacious floor space… but something's missing… Suddenly strains of music interrupt his contemplation. _Mokuba turned the goddamn radio on again._ "Closure has come to me, myself… you will never belong to me!" The station changes.Michelle Branch quietly sings "All You Wanted" into his ear from the wall's built-in speaker system. "…So lonely inside, so busy out there. And all you wanted was somebody who cares…"

"MOKIE TURN THAT CRAP OFF!!!"

"Sorry Seto!" The music stops. _It's almost like he wanted me to hear that … _He chuckles. _Yea right. I don't believe in that subliminal message crap._ Hepulls a thick file from inside his desk and begins to page through it, shredding certain papers and moving others around. He can't help but wander back to the song. _There's no way… could it? Serenity…_

The Wheeler's dim kitchen is disturbed by the grunt of a frustrated teen boy as he rips open cabinet after cabinet in search of his half empty [half full!] box of Lucky Charms. He nearly crashes into Serenity as she sits at the counter finishing her homework. Algebra has never been her best subject. Her paper is covered with frantic scribbles and eraser marks as she attempts to figure out the problems. _Stupid math problems… Divide by x??? No, can't do that…_She glances at the clock._ It's far too late to call Mai… could Joey help??? Doubt it, but it's worth a try…_ "Hey, Joey, could you come here for a moment? I'm having a little trouble with this- Joey???" Serenity's puzzled stare follows her brother around the room. Joey ignores her and peers into the cookie jar.

"Why isn't dere eva anythin' to eat in this place?!" His voice echoes in the hollow jar.

"Joey, there's a box of ice pops in the freezer for some unfathomable reason but could you _please_ help me with my homework?!" Joey jumps as if he is hearing her for the first time.

"Whoa! Hey, Seren, when'd you get in hea? What's wit da screamin'? Yea, I'll help ya with ya homework, soon as I get my ice pop!"

"God Joey, it's 20 degrees outside and you want to eat an ice pop?! We're having dinner soon..."

Joey grunts in reply as he attacks the box of ice pops in the freezer. "Aw man, don' tell me we're outta da grape ones!!! Ah, neva-mind… so what's wit da homework, sis?"

"It's this algebra, Joey… I can't figure it out…"

"Uh… algebra??? Sorry Seren, can't help ya dere… try Yugi… hey, wait, why are ya doin' dat now, we got da sleepover tonight, rememba?"

"Yes, I remember Joey, I just wanted to finish before we left so I wouldn't have to worry about it when we get back…"

"Ah, fughettaboutit, dere'll be plen-y a time when we get back! Come on, go finish packin', we gotta be at Tristan's in an hour!" The gang is meeting at Tristan's for a quick sleepover before they have to ruin their weekend in Suspension. Joey glances at his navy blue duffel bag in the corner of the room and grins. _Mai's gonna be in for a surprise…_

"Come on! Come on! Ah, stupid bottle!" Everyone is gathered in a loose circle on the floor of Tristan's den. A green glass bottle spins freely in the center, and it stops. Tristan stands up and bows. "My dearest Tea, I do believe you owe me the privilege of kissing you!" The girls giggle and shove the blushing Tea forward.

"No! [giggle] I mean, um, ok…" She curtsies daintily, and Tristan pecks her on the cheek.

"Man, an' I thought her face couldn' get any redda!" Joey laughs. "Alright! My turn!" He doesn't notice the girls whispering behind his back. _Come on bottle, you know who I want!_ It stops spinning. Joey looks up. "So, who's the lucky victim?" There was only one other person in the room— Mai.

She smiles and gives a flirty wink. "Lucky, am I?" She wraps her arms around his waist, and pulls him in close. "Maybe it's you who'll be the lucky one, Joey…"

Outside the door, Yugi, Serenity, Tristan, Duke, and Tea gather around with their ears pressed to the wood, giggling like little children. Duke opens the door a crack and they all peek inside.

"Eww!" Serenity whispers loud enough for Mai and Joey to hear (if they were even listening). Tea and Tristan stare at her as if she had gone mad. "What? Yea, it's romantic and all, but geeze guys, that's my brother and my best friend!!!"

Tristan picks her up and swings her around. "Would you rather it was you and me then?" And with that, he kisses her. Serenity closes her eyes and savors the moment. _Wow… it's just like a fairy tale! I have my own prince!_ _Frenching my boyfriend in front of my big brother wasn't exactly on my to-do list for the night, but hey, works for me! _

"Hey! Get ya slimy lips off my baby sista!" Joey drags Mai out of the den as she struggles to pull up the straps of her lavender spaghetti strap tank top. Tristan and Serenity's faces move apart, but they stay as they are, smiling and gazing into each other's eyes with innocent sincerity.

"I love you, Serenity Wheeler…."

"I love you too, Tristan Taylor…"

"Don' play that innocent crap wit me, Tristan, I know what ya were thinkin' and ya betta not try it wit my sista!"

"Oh cool it Joey, I'm sure he knows not to try anything with Serenity, and besides, his parents are upstairs…" Mai cuts in. "And think about what you were just doing." Joey opens his mouth to protest, but Mai cuts him off. "No, it's not different, and I know you were trying too so don't deny it! Come on, girls… " As the boys stand there, dumbfounded, Mai and the other girls go back into the den and lock the door. "Honestly, boys these days have such one track minds…"

"I'll be right back, I have to say goodnight to Joey!" Serenity runs to the door, unlocks it, and closes it behind her. She throws her arms around her brother and hugs him. "Good night, Big Brother. "

"Night Seren. Don' let the bedbugs bite… " And he whispers into her ear, "…that means Tristan too. Be careful kid, I trust you. And remember, I'm here for you."

"You always have been." She smiles.

"I always will be."

"Um… sorry to break up this touching brother-sister moment, but could I have a word with you, Serenity?" Tristan shuffles his feet shyly, and motions for Serenity to follow him. "Suivez moi, mon amour, ma princesse!" [A/n: that means, "follow me, my love, my princess!" in French… not quite sure if that's exactly right, will ask my teacher someday…or not!] Serenity gives her brother one last squeeze before she follows Tristan.

He leads her into the laundry room and locks the door. "Serenity!" In his eyes roared fierce tigers, powerful and hungry. He shoves her up against the door, his body painfully pressing into hers, his arms holding her hands up above her head. He tries to kiss her, but she moves her head to the side. "Nuh-uh, don't do that… I don't like that…" and he forces his mouth onto hers.

She gasps and tries to wriggle free. "Tristan, what are you doing?! Get off of me! Let me go! Tristan!" Serenity struggles, but the harder she struggles the more he presses her into the door. "Tristan, you're hurting me! Please stop!" She sobs and whimpers in pain. She can feel the bruises forming all over her body, and she gasps as Tristan attempts to slide his hands up her shirt. "Tristan, enough!" In one final attempt to get free, she bites his arm, her small white teeth almost piercing his skin. Shocked, Tristan lets her go and steps back. Serenity falls to the floor. She looks up at Tristan, her eyes overflowing with tears, and she can't speak. _What just happened here?!?!? How could he?!?! He knows, so why did he?!?!_

"I'm sorry Seren, I- I couldn't help myself…" Tristan holds out his hand to help her up, but she angrily pushes it away. "Fine, sweetie, your loss!" He seems completely nonchalant as he pulls a comb from the back pocket of his blue jeans and proceeds to comb his hair back into his signature spike. "Oh, and honey, it's over."

"…Wh-What?! What's going on here Tristan, what's wrong with you?!?!"

"It's over. There's another girl- hell, there's always been another girl! There have been a lot of other girls!"

"An-Another girl?! I don't care, but Tristan, how could you, I-"

"Yea, well I don't care. It's always been about you you you! Well let me tell you what I think of you! You're nothing but a repulsive crybaby I can't wait to be rid of!!! And I'm sure Joey and Mai know what I'm talking about, considering they both told me they feel the same way! Trust me, Serenity, the world's just better off without you." And with that he leaves her alone to cry on the laundry room floor.

_I can't believe it… I don't know what just happened, but that is NOT the Tristan I loved… I hate him… he lied to me this whole time, he doesn't love me… he was just using me… he doesn't love me… no one loves me… No, he's lying about Joey and Mai… they've always been there for me, they always will be… Joey would never leave me…_

Serenity gingerly stands up and hobbles out of the room in search of her brother. She makes a quick stop in the living room for her diary and her favorite stuffed animal, her Bengal tiger Kiara. _I think I'm going to be needing a little extra friend tonight… _ _I pity what a tangled mess Tristan will be when Joey finds out!_ "Joey! Joey, where are you?" She hears laughter and cheers coming from within the den, and she opens the door. Mai is sitting in Joey's lap in the far right corner, and Duke is lounging on the rustic blue-gray couch. Tristan leans against the opposite wall, flirting up a storm with Tea as a sullen Yugi watches. "Joey!" Serenity is almost afraid to confront Joey with Tristan in the room, but what choice does she have? "Joey, can I speak to you?" Joey ignores her and continues laughing and talking with Mai. "Joey, please, it's important!" Tristan excuses himself from his conversation with Tea, and walks across the room. With a smug grin, he firmly slams the door in Serenity's face. Serenity gets only a quick peek at Joey to see if he saw her at the door. Her heart sinks to her feet as she slides to the floor.

He didn't even notice. He didn't even notice. The realization stung worse than a thousand lies. _So much for always being there for me Joey… _She hugs her diary and Kiara close to her heart, as if somehow they could ease the pain. They bring no comfort. She opens her diary to a fresh new page. All is quiet. Silent tears plummet to an endless string of words.

_I'm so alone… they just don't understand… I'm not like them… it's like I don't even exist… I'm not important enough to exist… they're all I have left, but they're fading away too… I don't want to be alone… I don't want to be alone…_

She drifts off into a dreamless sleep, the hushed night cradling her in its arms. And somewhere in the star filled sky, the pale moon sighed and wept.

**END CHAPTER 3**

Um... Well, that was interesting! Stupid yami…

A note from Kiely, the authoress's yami: o well, note to all girls- never ever go into a laundry room with a locking door! Trust me, unless the guy is really REALLY hot (like Seto!), it's not worth it!

DG- Uh huh… right… anyway, if you're wondering why the hell I did that, just remember this: "Things have to get worse before they can get better…"— DragonGurl1

O yea, " and yes, I have an adorable super soft stuffed tiger named Kiara. She's my fave (after my 2 Stitch's of course!) Thanks to all who reviewed, I hope you're still reading! (o, and by the way, if you noticed before in Serenity's thoughts she says "he knows" and you'd like to know what exactly he knows, you'll just have to wait until chapter 5! I guarantee it's there since I already wrote most of it!)


	4. Judgment Day

Me again. Ok, this is where It (hopefully!) get's good… well, ok, where it starts. This is the weirdest chapter of the whole thing…(btw, I was a little bored while writing this so I got into Seto's thoughts… fun fun…he's more human now… " like my dream…ooo…) This is gonna be quick cuz I really wanna get started. I don't own YuGiOh, I own this story though cuz duh, I wrote it and cuz it IS (sorta kinda not really) based on me and my friends at school. No, I'm not going to tell you what school, otherwise **I'll** be the one in Saturday Suspension… for the rest of my life maybe… anyhow, here goes. Review when you're done or I'll make Mr. Grim follow you around and give you suspension!!! I don't own Backyard Baseball either, but it's actually pretty fun…

**Chapter 4- Judgment Day__**

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP _"Man dat's annoying!" Joey curses as he drowsily shoves Tristan's alarm clock off the nightstand. "Damn thing always ruins a perfectly good dream… Sorry Mai, we'll have to go on our honeymoon tomorrow night… " He glances around the room. Tristan, Duke, and Yugi are still asleep. _Damn, talk about deep sleep! _Joey rolls himself out of his sleeping bag and staggers over to the bathroom door. _Why da hell am I up so early anyway?! …Ugh, damn suspension…_ Joey peers into the mirror and studies the cuts and bruises on his face, particularly a long deep slash that runs from his left temple down to his chin. _F-U Kaiba!! … Hey, I look kinda tuff_ _… and tough… hmm… yea, now no one will mess with Joey Wheeler!_ "I wonder what Mai is dreaming right now…" he muses aloud. What he means to say is "Is she thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about her?" He remembers the first time they ever met, on the boat to Duelist Kingdom. _And I never woulda met her if it weren't for my good pal Yugi…She was always a fighter, Mai… Mai Valentine…she was so beautiful… her long flaxen hair blowing in the wind... What the?! "Flaxen"?! Geeze man, I gotta lay off the goddamn poetry crap in English… what the hell is flaxen anyway? Whateva… _[um.. authoress here… and really disturbed… no idea what to say here so hi, have a cookie while I wait for Joey's real life counterpart to tell me what to say here… yes I am that pathetic at the moment… ok, he answered, on with the story. ]

Joey tiptoes into the den where the girls are sleeping. He crawls towards Mai, and leans over her body. He watches her for a moment, watches her lace-covered chest gently rise and fall as she breathes, watches her hair fall over her face as she turns over. And he watches as her brilliant blue eyes flutter open and the corners of her mouth turn upwards in a smile. _She's got the brightest eyes I've ever seen…_"Hi Joey," she whispers.

Joey puts a finger to his lips and stretches out beside her on the blanket. She pulls him close and they share one brief but passionate kiss before Tristan barrels in. "We're gonna be late girls, get the hell outta bed!!!" His eyes bulge in surprise. "Joey?! How long have you been in here?! My parents are gonna fuckin' flip out, you wanna get me grounded?!?!" Joey and Mai jump up and rush out of the room giggling.

Joey whispers something to Duke ("I think she's the one!") as his drowsy friend peers into the den ("Awesome now shut up and lemme go back to sleep…"), and then he runs upstairs after Mai. "Dibs on shower! There's only one up here Mai, I guess we'll have to share!"

"Damn hormones…" Tristan chuckles lightly, a smug smirk playing about his eyes. _Poor Joey… hate to see his face when it's me taking Mai to senior prom next year!_ He stares after Mai, his mind full of dirty thoughts as to what he would do when Mai was his girl. _Oh yea… today's my big chance! Sorry, "Mutt", but the bitch is mine!_

"Good Morning Mr. Kaiba, sorry to disturb you but…" The butler's voice is barely audible through the thick doors, but he doesn't dare open it, nor does he dare buzz in though the speaker system. No, not into Mr. Kaiba's room.

"But what?" His employer's annoyance is obviously heard. His palms sweat and his brow furrows in dreadful anticipation. _He's going to fire me, I just know he's going to fire me now… Perhaps I shouldn't have come??? I can't get fired now, my family really needs this money, I'm their only income, what will we do if I get fired?! I'll have to find another job…there isn't another one in the entire city, we'd have to move and we just don't have that kind of money…_ His frantic thoughts are interrupted as his very irritated teen employer opens the door. "Honestly, Vincent, if there was no reason to interrupt my schedule, then I don't see any reason for you to keep your pitiful little job here!"

"No! I mean, no, please Mr. Kaiba, I'm incred- incredibly s-s-sorry, Mr. Kaiba s-s-sir, I was sent to remind you of your suspension, sir, I-I-I didn't mean- didn't mean to interrupt sir!" The poor butler stutters and backs away from Seto, tripping over his own feet in the process. "Truly, truly sorry Mr. Kaiba, really I am…"

Seto watches amusedly, but doesn't even grin. _Stupid butlers and maids, always tripping over themselves to worship me…perhaps I should fire a few, see how the rest slave for me all the harder…o well… suspension… ugh… just wait 'til those idiots at school find out that _Thee _Seto Kaiba got suspension… with _her_… wow… Serenity…_ He stumbles over the doorframe and trips into the hall. _Damn that's embarrassing! In my own house too, in front of my goddamn butler! Alright, act natural!_ He stands up as if nothing had happened and glares at the trembling man standing beside him. "Stupid butler… Go find something to polish. And tell my chauffeur to bring the limo around."

"Yes sir, right away sir." And he ran off, too happy to be away from the cold-hearted Kaiba brat. _It'd be a shock and a miracle if he were to ever find a friend or even a girlfriend!_

In his room, Seto prepares to leave. _Lucky me… I get to spend the day in _suspension! …_ I guess I'll wear the usual… __Chikusho__, Mokie's been wearing my black muscle shirts again… ah, here's a clean one…ugh, never-mind, it's got a ice cream stain on it… stupid laundresses, can't wash a single shirt right… o well, no one will notice._ He tugs the tight shirt over his head, hiding the spot with his signature white overcoat. _Ooo… I just love the feel of silk in the morning!_

An hour later finds the gang gathered around the main entrance of the school building, amidst snow flurries and icy winds, waiting for Mr. Grim to open the doors and let them in. Serenity keeps to herself in a darkened corner, clutching her treasured diary. _There's no point in being with people who don't like me… Stay away from Tristan…And try to be invisible… _She has the sudden sensation of being watched, and she turns her head slightly to catch a glimpse of who it is. Her eyes meet Seto's, and for a moment she notices that his face is rigid as usual, but there's something about his eyes…._It's as if they're smiling at me…_And then his face imitates his eyes, and he smiles at her, a genuine and somewhat flirty smile. And as quickly as the smile appears, it vanishes without a trace. Serenity blushes and turns away. _Um… o-k, what just happened here?! Did I just see Seto smile? At me?! _She sighs_…He's got a really nice smile though…and he's so hot! S_he blushes again, grateful for the darkness surrounding her in her little corner. Grinning a little grin of her own, Serenity opens her diary and begins to write.

Mr. Grim opens the front doors and escorts the group into Room 101, a small, melancholy classroom with dreary gray walls and few windows. "You are to serve out your suspension here, and I don't expect to see anyone missing when I return!" With that, he firmly shuts the door behind him and strolls around the vacant halls, his footsteps echoing as he walks. Tall blue lockers line both sides of the hallway, interrupted only by the wooden doors of empty classrooms. Every light in the building is off, and he is apprehensive…_Precisely 12:30 PM… This place still gives me the creeps… o-k, I suppose I could take that literally considering these stupid kids who have suspension… _He locks the front doors, just in case. _You can never tell with little hooligans like these…hooligans, hooligans, hooligans…hey, I like that word…hoo-li-gans…_

Inside the room, Yugi and his friends shrug and choose their seats. From the doorway where he stands, Seto gazes warily at the multi-colored haired child, as he seemed, and watches as the Mutt and Yugi's other friends swarm around him- except for Serenity. She sits off in the back left corner, alone and unnoticed. _Why is she over there and not with that idiot boyfriend of hers? Is she avoiding them all? Then again, I don't blame her… that Yugi kid is a freak! _His thoughts are interrupted as the door behind him suddenly opens again and Marik and Bakura are dragged in, screaming, struggling, and biting the frantic Mr. Grim. "Get in here boys! Don't do the crime if you can't do the time! …Argh!!! You little monster, put that little gold stick thing back in your pocket and stop hitting me with it or I'll confiscate it and it will be mine! Same goes with that necklace! Ack!" Yugi, Joey, and Tristan snicker as they watch the bizarre scene before their eyes. Marik is attempting to beat Mr. Grim over the head with his Millennium Rod as Bakura strangles the poor man with his Millennium Ring. "Aaagh! Stop it you brainless bastards, that's quite enough!"

Marik and Bakura instantly stop, their faces expressing nothing more than impish grins. "Oooo, the Hall Nazi said a bad word! Naughty Hall Nazi, you shouldn't have said that!"

"O yes, you definitely shouldn't have said that." The thick British accent seems to make the words hang in the air, circling the wary Hall Nazi—or perhaps it is just the appearance of dark shadows. "Naughty Hall Nazi must be punished! Shouldn't say bad wor-rds!" A sudden chill circulates through the room as the murky shadows engulf the entire area. "Prepare to have a little visit to the Shadow Realm!"

"Stop!" Yugi jumps forward.

"Aw, is the wittle-bitty Pharaoh going to try and stop us?! Yes, well go ahead and try! I'm not afraid of you, Pharaoh, and if I were you, I'd watch my back. I'm everywhere, Pharaoh, don't think you'll ever be stronger than me!" Marik's eyes glower with threats and malice, but he turns away from the group. "Come on, Tomb Robber. There's work to be done, and minds to torment- as always," he sings cheerfully. Bakura and Marik fade into the shadows as the room brightens and clears. There's no trace of them, or of the notorious Mr. Grim.

"Uh… alright, so who's going to tell Brad [Name has been changed!] where his dad went?!" Tristan wonders aloud before he ducks from Joey's flying fist.

"Ya know, Tris, I kinda think we got bigga problems hea! We're locked in da fricken' buildin', those psychos Marik and Bakura are loose somewhere, and I wanna fuckin' go home!"

"Joey's right! We're locked in for the rest of the day, maybe even all night, so we might as well make the best of it and find somewhere to stay where those guys can't find us… if they do, there's no telling what will happen…"

Serenity, emerging from her hidden corner, finally speaks up. "Joey, I have an idea…"

"Shut up, Seren, can' ya see I'm tryin' ta think hea! Go play wit some toys or somethin', let the big kids handle this!" He is irritable and hungry, and he doesn't have time for baby games.

Her cheeks burn as she evaporates back into the shadows. _What's going on??? That's not my brother…He's… different…_"Right now I could be out somewhere with the gang, all warm and cozy, sipping hot cocoa and maybe singing some Christmas carols…" She whispers for only the darkness to hear.

Duke opens the classroom door and steps out. "You guys stay here for a minute, I wanna take a quick look around, maybe bring back some food—I'm starving! Back in a sec." He runs out the door and down the halls.

"Duke, wait! Dammit, he's headed for trouble… alright, let's split up and find him; we're safer in groups… Uh… Alright, Yugi and Joey, you go down towards the back gym, Mai and I will check upstairs."

Caught up in the moment, Joey and Yugi race outside barely noticing Tristan's triumphant smirk. "Let's go!" The four rush out of the room and branch off in different directions, leaving Serenity and Seto behind. Seto watches them leave, then stands up and slowly circles the room. _Interesting… very interesting… so the Mutt's lost his little girlfriend to Pointy-Head and he's too stupid to even realize it…_ He sneaks a glance into Serenity's corner. _And they left her behind… Dumb Mutt's losing it… ah, but to my own advantage!_ He walks towards the door and closes it, then stands quietly in the corner.

Serenity steps out from the shadows, certain that she has been left alone in the room. _So I guess that's it huh? I just don't matter…_"Hi." A voice from somewhere in the room causes her to jump. Behind her stands Kaiba, the snobbish, pompous assailant… but he's smiling again… And he seems almost… cheerful… "So I guess they left you here too? Do you wanna go for a walk?" _This can't be the same guy…and why's he being so… so nice?_ She nods slowly and moves to open the door, but he has already opened it and is waiting outside. "Come on, let's go…" To her surprise, he takes her hand, and they begin to walk down the dim hallway. _O-k, now I'm convinced! The entire universe has been taken over by alien clones and I'm the only human left… yup, that must be it…_

Duke wanders aimlessly in the halls downstairs, his feet making no sound on the speckled green floor tiles. His small dice earrings dangle and bounce as he swings his head around in an attempt to clear his thoughts. _That room is way too tense for me! Honestly, I can't tell who's mad at who anymore, seems like everyone hates everyone else! Maybe I shouldn't have left them alone in there, Tristan's up to something and it can't be good…it's never good…_ A distinct grumbling noise alerts him of his own problems. _Man, I'm starving! Guess I should go find something to eat… damn, didn't think to bring any change, vending machines are out then… maybe the kitchen will have something good… _Making a left at the end of the speckled green hallway, Duke takes his time getting to the kitchens. "Alright! Food at last!" He yanks the freezer door open and browses through the selections. "Hmm… hey, a turkey! I could really go for a big slice of turkey right about now…" He gazes sadly and the frozen bird and then to the locks on the oven dials. "Damn cooks… how's a guy s'posed to eat frozen food?!" _The lab! The Bunsen burners in the Chem lab!_ "Brilliant!" He grabs a box of stuffing and a few cans of veggies off the shelves. Duke, spurred on by the thought that he will soon have a delicious Thanksgiving-like meal within minutes, runs upstairs to the lab with his findings. And from the murkiest shadows of the kitchen, just feet away from where he once stood, a glowing orb appears about six feet off the ground. "Dukey-boy, we'll soon be meeting…"

_Finally alone with Mai! And the Mutt didn't even notice! Time to make my move…though better take it slow for this to work right…_ "Mai, there's something I gotta tell you…" Tristan grabs her arm to stop her steady stride. _Keep it cool… _"Hold up, hold up…"

"Tristan, can it wait? I kinda really wanna get back to Joey…" She smiles and whispers, "I think he's the one!"

_Like hell he is! _Tristan shows no emotions, but inside he is seething. _Trust me, babe, by tonight, that guy'll be me!_ "I know what you mean… It was like that with Serenity and me…" Tristan knows that Mai knows nothing about his meeting with Serenity in the laundry room the previous night. _And that little lack of knowledge is gonna stay that way 'til I get what I want!_

"Really?" Mai looks skeptical. "I figured you two would have broken up by now…" _Those two are the best example of the world's worst couple… what a mismatch…_

"Yea, we did, last night… she wanted to… I dunno what happened, it was all so perfect… But you know, people change… people drift apart…" He shrugs. "I guess there's such a thing as too much of a good thing." _I think she believes me… perfect…_

"Yea, I guess so… this is kinda nice…"

"Hmm?"

"Just walking around the halls and talking with you… it's... different… not like when I'm with Joey or Tea or Seren… all Joey wants to do is make out all the time, and Tea blabs nonstop about what she and Yugi plan to do over the weekend and Serenity's been so quiet lately that she and I never know what to talk about if we ever even do…"

"Yea… Hanging out with the guys, well you know what that's like… well, alright, as a girl you do... but we guys, all we do is duel or talk about girls it seems… well, that and dis Kaiba, we're always up for that… but we never really sit and talk about serious stuff… not like this…"

"Weird, isn't it? … We should do this more often…" _Just not too often or Joey might find out that I like you better! And that I have for a long time… _

"Yea, we should." _O yea! Tristan's in da house!!! _In his thoughts he adopts a sinister cackle. _So, Doctor, all goes according to plan? Eee-hee-hee!_ "How bout we hang out in 213 for a bit… it's my favorite room in the whole school…"

"Why's that?"

Tristan only grins. "You'll see!" He leads her to the room at the corner of the hall and pulls a key from his jeans pocket.

"Where'd you get that?!"

Tristan's grin grows. "OD gave me my own key cuz of all the stuff I do during the school concerts… I figure it's a way he shows he trusts me… Come on, I'll show you around." He enters a small, chilly room inside 213 and flips a light switch. "This is our school's third (and very private) computer room. Not a lot of people know about it, OD only tells people who work for him…" A long desk with about 6 computers is against the east wall. He closes the door behind them, sits down at one of the computers and turns it on [A/n: sorry to interrupt, but due to possible questions about that last phrase "turns it on," I'd like to clarify: I MEAN IT LITERALLY YOU PERVERT!!! sorry to disturb, please continue.]. "Care to play a game or two?" Mai nods and sits down in the wheeled chair beside him. Tristan takes her hand in his, and with his other hand he pulls her chair closer to him. Mai is surprised for a moment, but Tristan doesn't seem to notice. _Perfect… _the words BACKYARD BASEBALL pop up on the screen. "I'll show you how to play…" [Again, literally people! Not like… like in that song… if you don't know, don't ask… --" oy…] He put her hand on the mouse, and with his hand on top of hers he gently guided the mouse around. Suddenly, without notice, he kisses her lips. She doesn't stop him, nor does she hold back.

"Come on, Yug, I dunno what's taking Mai and Tristan so long to check upstairs but I don't like it. If Marik and Bakura got to them… "Joey sprints up the stairs two at a time until he arrives at the top.

"Go ahead Joey, I'll meet you in a minute…" Yugi breathlessly gasps. _I've never seen Joey this freaked out… though I wonder what could've happened…o well, off to the snack machines! _His mind feels a sharp prod from his Hikari. _Dammit you, I can't help Joey on an empty stomach! Shut up and stay quiet or I'll have Marik send you to the shadow realm along with that freakish "friendship" girl! I swear I will! She touches me one more time and…Stop poking me, will you!!! YOU STUPID LITTLE SHRIMP STOP POKING ME!!! I AM PHARAOH!!! _Yugi runs off in search of food, mentally fighting with his Hikari the entire way.

Joey nods and runs off. _Hey, what's dat?!_ He hears the faint whisper of a cheering crowd coming from the other end of the hallway. _What the hell is dat??? Betta be on my guard…_ He follows the noise to the door of a classroom—room two-one-three. The door is slightly ajar, as if it were opened and ignored. Pushing it open, he spots an eerie glow from behind a closed door with a large glass window built into it. He peers into the window, his eyes becoming hollow and barren, a similar space in his heart. _So this is what it's like…_ The particular feeling is hard for him to pinpoint. He shifts through a range of emotions, words and thoughts flying through his head. _Betrayal…agony…hatred…Mai…_He drifts to the staircase, lying on the cold hard stone floor. _Surely death isn't as cruel as this…_

Duke rummages around the Chem lab for a Bunsen burner and some matches. _Bingo…_He attaches the burner to the gas line with an old hose and lights a match. He doesn't notice the hissing of the escaping gas from the punctured hose. Almost instantly, the burner lights up and flames dance around the lab bench. "AH!" Duke attempts to doge the conflagration but trips over his own two feet right into the midst of it all, knocking himself out cold. Just before the flames consume his entire body and as he fades from consciousness, Duke glimpses a glowing yellow eye before his face and a glint of silver scissors and hears the most blood chilling chuckle he had ever heard in his life. "So long, Devlin. Your powerless little dice are of no real use to me anyway…"

Seemingly hours later, Mai rests her head on Tristan's shoulder, slightly tired and a little wary. _What Joey doesn't know won't kill him…right?! _ "Tristan… all of this… if Joey…"

"Shh… I understand, it'll just be our little secret… He'll never find out, trust me. So where do we go from here?"

Mai hugs him and kisses his cheek. "Though I'd love to stay here forever with you, we should probably go back downstairs before they come looking for us…" She quickly tugs on her tight lavender mini and spaghetti strap tank, making sure the straps stay up lest Joey even ponder for a moment why they're down.

"Yea, you're right… let's go." He shuts down the computer and locks all the doors securely before heading down the corner stairs, fixing his clothing as he goes. _Easier than I expected… _

Serenity is baffled. _If this is what winter is like with these people I'm afraid to see what they're like come spring! _Seto has been unusually quiet this whole time, but he fervently holds on to her hand as if it were one of his precious Blue Eyes White Dragon cards.

They walk about the hallways, grabbing a quick snack in the cafeteria, until Seto stops at the Library/Media Center, the site of the incident that landed him here. _I should probably apologize to her... But now isn't the time… Oh my god is my breath ok? Ah, no time to check… Hair isn't flying all over the place? It's fine…say something! Talk... about anything! Come on, since when is the Great Seto Kaiba nervous?! _ He silently gulps. _When he's with the prettiest girl he's ever seen… _"So, uh… wanna go in and talk or something?"

He sounds like a little boy again, unsure of himself and anxious. Serenity can tell that he's just as nervous as she is. "Yea, alright." They enter the unlocked room and turn the lights on. Serenity seats herself at one of the small circular tables in the back and he sits beside her. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I dunno… anything I guess, if it's ok with you…"

"Yea it's fine… sooo… uh… what's your favorite book?"

"Well.. You'll think it's weird, but The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger…"

"No way! I love that book! It's not weird at all that you like it, it's really a great book…"

"And yours?"

"Well, I really like The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton… I've read it so many times, it's as if the characters are my best friends… Ponyboy is pretty cool… ooo, but Dally's my fave, he's such a bad-boy but he's got a big heart…double plus."

_Ah, so she's into the bad-boy thing… hmm…ah, right, Tristan and the motorcycle… _"No kidding??? Same here, Dally and Ponyboy… Alright, favorite color."

"Easy one—blue. All shades, but especially ocean blue." She peers warmly at him, specifically his face. "…Like your eyes…"

He smiles. [ya know, there's a hellova lotta smiling in this…] "Blue's my favorite too…Here's a strange question: What's your favorite flower?" _50 bucks says it's a rose…_

Serenity sighs. "Roses… they're so beautiful, and sooo romantic… ooo, I just love the smell of my rose garden in the spring…I can't wait for winter to be over… I miss my garden…"

_Score 1 for the Kaiba-man! _"Really?" He pulls something from the inner pocket of his jacket and presents it to her. It is a single scarlet rose in full bloom, a rare treasure in the snow and ice. "For you." He smiles as her eyes light up and she accepts it.

"Where did you…how did you…it's beautiful…thank you." Seren is stunned. _O-k, either he's powerful enough to control nature or he's found the Fountain of Youth…either way… ooo…_She remembers that they were in the middle of a conversation. "And now yours?"

And so the conversation goes on, a lively but quiet question and answer session that lasts until well past 5 o'clock. Serenity's eyes sparkle with glee as she discovers the hidden similarities between her and the mysterious Seto Kaiba. _Who would've thought that hidden beneath the ice was… was this?_

He haunts the stairwell, neither wanting to leave or having the will power to get up from where he lay. _How could she… how could either of them… I never shoulda let dem run off like that… _ He mindlessly glides off the stairs and roams the downstairs hallways… The lights are on in the media center. _Weird… o well, might as well... as long as I don't find dem in dere makin' out or somethin' worse…_ He begins to pull the door open but turns around instead to see Mai and Tristan come up behind him.

"Hey, there you are, Joey, we couldn't find Duke anywhere upstairs…" Tristan begins to explain.

_Yea, I'm sure you couldn't, it might've helped if you had actually looked somewhere other than inside each other's mouths! _He keeps his voice as normal as possible. "Yea, Yugi an' me didn' find 'im eitha…"

"Joey, who's in there? Why are the lights on?"

Joey doesn't answer Mai. He pulls open the doors and slips inside the room, followed by Mai and Tristan. They scan the room quickly for anyone. _What the fuck is goin' on in hea?! I see flowers… that can only mean one thing!!! _"SERENITY MICHELLE WHEELER, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THAT BASTARD!!!"

Seto and Serenity jump and stare at Joey. "Joey, where have you been all day?"

"That's none of ya concern, now do as I said, get the hell away from him!"

"But Joey, I don't understand—"

"Of course you don't, you're just a stupid little kid, now get away from him before I have to hurt one of you!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. _Why is he acting like this?_ "No!"

"Serenity, I'm not in da mood to play games wit ya, come on, we're leaving! You got no business hangin' out wit guys like _him_!" he spits the word out with utter disgust. He grabs her arm and drags her towards the door.

"No, Joey! Stop it you're hurting me! Leave me alone, Joey, you wouldn't understand!"

Furious, Joey glares at her before he viciously shoves his way past Mai and Tristan and storms out of the media center. Mai and Tristan hesitate then follow Joey out.

"Serenity, maybe you should go with him…" Seto speaks up.

"No, Seto!" I wanna be with you!"

**END CHAPTER 4**

Tuff: um…from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Awesome book! Means cool, sharp… not like the word "tough" but pronounced the same way!

Chikusho- means "damn" in Japanese!

OD is my Honors English 2 teacher… I don't wanna use his real name (cuz god knows he might actually be reading this!!!) but he's a "famous" author anyway so you may have heard of him… this is just a nickname I gave him while writing this so that I'm not really giving away his name…

Hey, does anyone find it weird that Mai is wearing spaghetti straps and a mini skirt in the middle of December?! just noticed that… o well, from now on I won't even mention what they're wearing, you can make up your own outfits for all I care! And I kinda just made up a middle name for Seren, I have no idea why I picked Michelle. No, that's not my first name or middle name or anyone in my family, but I have a friend or two named Michelle… but that's not why I picked that name either… o well…

And did I ever tell you about the "Wear Googles!!!" sign in the Chem lab?!

5/25/04- OH MY GOD!!! Had the GREATEST dream last night, Seto was actually human, you know, 100% mortal human flesh instead of ink and paper (shame bout the mortal part…) but he was SOOO HOT!!! So, from now on, what ever I write about him physically will be about the human him and not the drawing… you should've seen him… wow… " right, sorry, just had to say that! Kaiba's a real boy!

6/29/04- sorry it took me so long—I was on vacation (Bahamas are sooo nice this time of year!) and I had a, uh... well, a little injury to my hand and I posted this and un-posted this just before I left cuz I forgot to re-edit and all… long story… By the way, I think this chapter is lame!!! What do you think???


	5. I Wanna Be With You

Hey, back again. I still don't own anything but this story… Ooo, guess what? I couldn't wait to start this chapter so I'm writing this before I even start the chapters in between! Stupid yes but I REALLY wanna write this one!!! So here goes… um… actually I dunno where to start… o, by the way, this chapter WILL have a few limes (a.k.a. a green lemon! [Green as in an inexperienced newbie] but as for right now they'll be implied… or maybe I'll go back to them, I dunno… what a great way to start the chapter, eh? ;-)) (if you want someone to blame, blame Mandy Moore for "I Wanna Be With You"! ooo, and Clay Aiken for "The Way"…) I DID say that this was all based on a really weird first hand account (No I'm not Mandy Moore…) Mira, stop looking at me like that! (And no, Joey's not who you think he is- did u honestly think I'd EVER willingly hug _**him**_?!?! Ugh…then again I've never willingly hugged the "real Joey"…well, maybe once or twice…before I threw him across the hallway…) By the way I don't own YuGiOh. Nor do I own the greatest play I've ever memorized- Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_!!! ( and don't tell my English teacher cuz I didn't cite it right!) and I'll shut up now so u can read…and this is really short… and yes, I know that this is very strange and demented, but so are the people at my school… no offense guys! [cringes] don't hurt me!!! 

**Chapter 5- I Wanna Be With You…**

"I wanna be with you…"

Seto can't believe what she's doing. "But your brother…"

"Seto, I DON'T CARE what Joey says! We belong together…"

Seto pulls Serenity close to him. "Yes, we do… It's late… Do you want to find the others?"

"…No… I can't… I mean… no, not tonight… not after… come on, let's go..." She leads him to the backstage door of the Little Theater across the hall and goes inside, pulling him in with her. She sits on the bend of the high metal railing of the stairs, her hands gently fingering the velvety rose petals. Her mouse-like voice is even quieter than usual, and she keeps her eyes cast downwards to the boy below. "Hmm... reminds me of my favorite play…Ay me…"

"Ah, lemme guess- Romeo and Juliet!" he says with a slight tone of amusement. He stares up into her eyes from where he stood on the smooth ground at the end of the staircase, his head level with her knees. _It's pretty much every girl's favorite play… but you have to admit, the swordfights are awesome! Dueling with swords is almost as much fun as dueling with cards… hey, maybe I should try it…Oo dammit man, snap out of it!!! _

She bubbles "Yup! It's my absolute favorite play ever! How'd you know?"

"…It's my favorite too…" he grins. _Bet she didn't see that coming!_

"Is it really???"

"She speaks: O speak again bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as a winged messenger of heaven!" _Think that'll impress her? Compliments, compliments… This is creepy, we're kinda just like Romeo and Juliet… I just hope she doesn't expect me to die for her, cuz there's no way in hell Mokie could run Kaiba Corp and those buffoons that work for me suck almost as much… _

"Ah, good Sir Kaiba, thou knowst it well!" She beams down at him. _And what a quote it was! O god, he's so sweet…I've learned so much about a total stranger in one night, it's as if I've known him a lifetime!_

He quickly checks his watch. 11 PM. _Where did the day go?! _"Indeed kind lady, that I do!" With that, he quickly sweeps her down from the railing and carries her to the top of the stairs. "Lady Serenity, your intellect never ceases to amaze me...but the day is fading. Shall we adjourn to our sleeping chambers?" He carries her to an aged chair just on the other side of the railing and puts her down. "So, where tonight shall we go, fair lady?"

She's thoughtful for a moment, and suddenly jumps up and grabs his hand. "Come on, I wanna show you something." She drags him into a little storage room, in the very back corner of the stage. She opens the door and pulls a cord hanging from the ceiling. The room is filled with a dim yellow glow, almost as if it were a candlelit room of a medieval castle. "_This_ is the Green Room…"

Seto looks around. "Uh-huh… and why exactly is this called the Green Room? It's not even green!"

Serenity just giggles and shoves him further into the room. _Ah, yes, the number 1 asked question in the entire school… well, if you don't count "what's the answer to number 5???" _The tiny room is cluttered with all sorts of stage props and coils of wires and costumes- racks and racks of feathery cabaret costumes, leather "greaser" jackets, Victorian style gowns… and a large, tattered orange couch… and a few feet across the little room, a metal cabinet with odd little magnetic boxes on it. Serenity pushes him over to the cabinet. _She wants me to see a cabinet door?! _

Seto looks closely at the little rectangles and his eyes grow wide. Serenity giggles when she sees his reaction. Printed on each box is a word or two, and they are arranged in the most perverted of phrases. "Mai and I made these up during drama club… ok, mainly Mai …"

"This one looks like fun… 'White Martini-Mudslide-Red Wine'… Sleep smart here… Make real love… Have sour lemon… Stir straight up…" Seto's eyes gain a mischievous glint. "Care to try it?"

With a single finger he flips the light switch on the wall behind the cabinet. He wraps his arms around Serenity's waist and gently turns her around to face him. Serenity's mouth forms a little "o" of surprise. "Seto, I…" Seto's face is almost touching hers; his eyes are soft and inviting. Her answer is cut short as Seto's warm lips meet hers. The next few minutes are a blur in Serenity's mind. Neither really knows what is happening; it is all so natural, so… right. Seto's hands know just where to go, and he sends shivers up Serenity's spine. Before they realize it, clothes are strewn around the room and they are making out on the couch. [A/N: this was "edited" so that it's not as... um… you know… but you know what I really mean, right? ;-) and yes, that was really one of the phrases, made by Mira! Yes, I did just tell everyone!!! (evil maniacal laughter)]

Down the hall in room 101, Mai, Joey, and Tristan shuffle about the room. There's an incredibly uncomfortable sea of silent tension that laps at their knees, rising by the second. Joey is the first to make a move. "I just don't understand it. How could she do this to me?!" _How could you do this to me?!_

"What's there to understand, Joey? She loves him, it's obvious… There's nothing any of us can do about that…"

"He's not good enough for her, Mai, she deserves so much better…" _I deserve so much better… _

"Besides, Wheeler, she didn't do it to you."

"O yea, Tristan? Well I don't believe you! Seren's always just tryin' ta piss me off nowadays, strutting around like some little slut and making out with a whole bunch of guys! She does it just to spite me, I know she does, and then when she gets in trouble she comes runnin' to me, always 'spectin' Big Brother Joey to come to her rescue! Never again! From now on, it's my way or nothing!"

"AUGH!" The waves crash over Joey's head, dragging him in deeper and deeper. "Joey, that's it!!! It's always gotta be about you, doesn't it?! Your little sister needed you more than ever and you ignored her, and now all you can think of is your grudge against Kaiba! It's over Joey, at least one of us has enough sense to be there for a friend in need!" Mai storms towards the door, but Tristan holds her back.

"Hold on, I'll come with you."

Joey stares in shock. _What just happened here?!_ Anger swells in his chest and rushes forth. "O yea, well YOU were never good enough for a guy like me anyway!" _Not mentioning the fact that you were just making out with my now ex-friend behind my back…_ "And you're DEFINITELY not good enough friends for my sister so just stay the hell away from da both of us unless you wanna get hurt!"

Tristan angrily pushes Joey into the wall. "Oh yea, Joey? Well maybe YOU'RE not good enough to be HER BROTHER!!! Eh, ever think of that?! Nah, probably not considering what a conceited bastard you are!" _If I play my cards right, the fact that you're nothing but a conceited bastard will definitely come in handy, Mutt… _

"Not good enough?! Without me, she'd probably be out in some goddamn traila park in Kansas with 7 kids and a boyfriend who's a drunkard! No, what's wrong wit me is that I'm TOO GOOD for any of ya! Obviously I don't need you, so get the hell outta my face! And you can take that backstabbing bitch with you! Apparently I'm not good enough to be her boyfriend anyway…" He turns his back to them, seething with rage.

Mai realizes what he meant before Tristan does and tries to repair the damage. _Damn he knows… _"Joey, I… It wasn't—"

"I don't wanna hear your lies…" His voice is edgy and unemotional, a deadly combination.

"But, Joey, listen to me, I—"

"GO!" Joey whips around so violently that he slaps her across the face. Mai's hand flies to her stinging cheek and her eyes begin to moisten. Soon the salty sea of tension was spilt out over her face in 2 steady rivers. "…Mai, I… I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I…"

She doesn't listen. Mai jolts out of the room, not a sound escaping from her lips, her shoulders shaking. Sure, Joey had done some cruel things in the past, but never like this. He had never once raised his hand to her. Never.

Tristan smirks at Joey. "Thanks, _Mutt_. Nice knowing you!" He shoves Joey again into the wall, this time knocking a shelf into his head. For the second time in less than a week, Joey slips into his unconscious world of nothing.

The Green Room is still, cept for the occasional rustling and swishing of sheets and blankets. She can no longer bear the silence. "Seto… This is all a little sudden… Have you ever felt like you've just stopped moving, yet everyone around you keeps going?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Well… it's like…it's like… my entire world is crashing down on me and all I can do is watch…you ever feel like that? Just so helpless, like you're in a nightmare and you're in a crowd of people—the people you love… then suddenly you're sucked into this black hole… and everyone around you, everyone you once cared about and trusted just… just stands there, either watching you fall and not caring or too busy with their own little worlds to even notice…"

"Ooo... yea, I know the feeling… like they don't want to care… there's no one there when you really need them…my whole life's been kinda like that, always alone… I've never actually really had any friends though… my stepfather didn't allow it…"

"Mine either…" She trails off.

A stunned silence fills the air between them (which isn't very much…) as he attempts to grasp the full meaning of her reply. "…You… you have a stepfather?!" _Maybe she's more like me than I imagined… and I suppose it's better I know this BEFORE the wedding!_

"Yea…" Her tiny voice is barely a whisper. "My-- my parents separated when I was 12, a few months after Joey's 13th birthday… and... my dad moved away… and he took Joey with him… I rarely ever got to see them until Joey moved back in just last year…anyway, a year later my mother remarried… Oh Seto, he's just _awful_… and to think that Tristan too, Tristan's becoming just like him…" Her violent sobs briefly interrupted. "He promised… he promised me… and he lied…"

"I understand… " And he did. He had seen the bruises. Seto turns her sodden face towards his and wipes her eyes with a corner of the sheet. "Here's a promise that no one can ever lie about—a true promise, from me. Serenity, I'll never let anyone hurt you again… Not Tristan, not your stepfather… and definitely never myself. And this is a promise I intend to keep, for the rest of my life and beyond."

"Seto, I…" Serenity whispers softly as she lies next to him on the antique couch, her pale face against his bare chest. She falters and stops. __

"Yes?" Seto's voice rings out in the dark room, calm and comforting.

Seto pulls her closer to him, and she can feel his heart beating… fast, a steady yet irregular pattern that only her own heart could ever describe… and yet couldn't…_ This is what I want…this is what I've always wanted…but why does it feel so wrong? … Ugh, it's Joey…_She imagines all of the places she could possibly be right now. _But none are better than here…and no place will ever be… tell him now…yea… now…_"I love you…"

"And I love you…"

"But Joey-" Serenity panics and tries to pull away, but Seto just hugs her closer.

"Shh… we'll figure that out tomorrow…" He gently caresses her, and she sighs. "Tomorrow… I promise…"

Feeling comforted by his words and affectionate embrace, Serenity allows herself to drift into a perpetual rhythm with Seto's heartbeat, falling asleep in his arms. _This is truly what I wanted… if only it could last forever… _

Seto lies there beside her, finding himself surprisingly at peace with everything around him… everything… _Could this be any more perfect? _His arms wrap further around the sleeping girl next to him, his mind slips into a state of utter tranquility, his heartbeat slows. His eyes slide shut and his body melts into hers, as if he and Serenity have become one person. [A/N: ugh, gag! Sooo cliché… don't know where that came from, I don't talk like that!] _Nothing's ever going to split us apart- not even Joey. I'll make sure of that…_

**END CHAPTER 5**

Notes: uh…duuude! Seto is sooo outta character!!! " but I can't tell u who he really is, and no, even if you really know me you don't know who I'm talking about cuz I've never told anyone about him…and I shouldn't have said that… o well, it's best you know than you thinking it's you-know who… (and I swear, those last 2 sentences sound like they're straight outta Harry Potter! lol, didn't mean to…)

This is so weird cuz I was listening to this song from _Uptown Girls_, you know, "Sheets of Egyptian Cotton" by Jesse Spencer… lol, well I thought it was fitting… OO I'm sensing another YuGi-Ized Song coming on!!!


	6. Of Mutts and Maniacs

Sooo... do you like this so far? I'd have to say I'm enjoying it a bit… I'll cut right to the chase this time. I don't own YuGiOh nor do I own "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck… personally I hate the book, but that's just my opinion, plus it makes an interesting title for what may be the weirdest chapter yet… and the hardest to write… alright! I admit it! I had a minor case of writer's block! …well, for this fanfic anyway… you should see my new stuff, it's pretty cool… o wait, it's not a fanfic anymore… o well, wait for Broadway! By the way, this no longer has anything to do with my friends whatsoever… noticed that in the last chappie, my friends are now totally outta the picture… Sorry guys! And, as I may have mentioned, I wanna show my beloved Seto Kaiba as a real person, not some self absorbed 2 dimensional super hottie cartoon/anime character… ooo, like Rei Kashino from the MARS manga… ooo… " so sorry, I'm almost finished! Ooo, by the way, I've been reading so much romance manga as well as Shakespeare, etc etc so uh, sorry if things get a lil too fluffy " what can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic! This chappie's a little weird, kinda wild, I just let go and got crazy…er… ok! Let's go!

**Chapter 6- Of Mutts and Maniacs**

Seto is the first to awaken. His arms tighten for a moment. _Where the hell am I?… O yea… _He lets go, kissing her flushed cheek and tucking her hair behind her ear, out of her face. He gets up and quietly gets dressed, careful not to wake her. If she knew what he planned to do…he sighs. _I can't believe myself sometimes… but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do… _He winces. _Ugh, that sounds so gay… who made up that stupid slogan/motto thing anyway? It's so lame… o well… _He pulls the sheet over her bare shoulders and leaves the room, knocking over... well, something. _What the hell is that thing! _Serenity sighs and rolls over. Seto sighs in relief and looks around to see what fell. A colorful box lies on the floor, and it seems to be some sort of electronic device. _Ya know what, let's not find out…_ He shoves it into the nearest storage box hoping to God that she didn't see it or him or wake up. _I do not wanna know what the hell those teachers do in here!_ With a quick glance back at her, he dashes out of the room, out of the theater, and roams the halls. _Alright, let's get this over with…_

In Room 101, Joey lies alone on the floor where he fell. He's only half conscious; in his mind, the blinding morning rays of sunlight dance with the shadows of the floor around him. _A tribal dance… and I'm the prey… I'm the victim… and there's nothing I can do about it… _He painfully drags himself onto the hard desk at the front of the room, staring at the ceiling. _What's left for me? Nothing… Yug's run off… Seren would ratha be wit Kaiba… And Mai… _He slams his fist into the wooden desk. _I don' even wanna think about her… Well, I guess I know what Seren was saying bout feelin' alone an abandoned… _His heart sinks as he remembers his younger sister's face when he found them in the media center. And his previous confrontation with Kaiba in that same room. To Seto Kaiba, Joey had always been a useless, unwanted tagalong, or, as he liked to call him, a "Mutt." Joey grimaces. That's exactly what he feels like. _Nothin' but an abandoned little puppy… _He closes his eyes. _And I always have been… _He remembers what life was like during his parents' divorce—moving out with his dad… watching Serenity cry as he waved goodbye from the backseat of his father's car… moving into a dirty, infested apartment in the city… working 3 jobs after school while his father sat at home, drunk and dangerous… it was pure luck that his mother found out and brought him back home to live with her and Serenity. Things were going great for him… And then she married Michael… Michael Steen. Years of hatred and anger boil within Joey's heart. Michael was the one threat to the survival of his family. Violent and cruel, he was clearly the type of guy that should be avoided… _No idea what Mom saw in that psychotic son-of-a-bitch, but he's gotta go! I just hope she's alright now…_

_All right, now where do these people hide all the good food? Cheese Doodles and Doritos!_ Yugi skips down the hallway, a satisfied smirk on his face. _Damn hikari! I hope you like it in your little box in there! No one messes with the Pharaoh!_ The lights flicker in an empty classroom as he passes by. "What the…" He reaches for the doorknob, turns it, and cautiously steps inside. (A/N: sorry, must take a quick break so that Mira can finish singing "Part of Your World" in Latin…) ok… The lights flash on, blinding him as he attempts to shield his eyes.

"Ah, Pharaoh… I was wondering when we'd meet again!" The devilish sneer is unmistakably Marik's.

"MARIK!" Yugi waits a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light. "…Hey, this is Mr. Pegasus's art class!…Ooo, I'm telling Pegasus you were in his classroom when he wasn't here!"

"Gasp! You wouldn't dare, Pharaoh!"

He sticks his tongue out at the stunned teen. "Maybe, maybe not!"

"O yea that's really mature! But I guess that someone who looks like a 3 year old will act like a 3 year old!"

"That's it, I'm telling on you!"

"Well you can't if I send you to the Shadow Realm first!" He raises his Millennium Rod and aims it at Yugi's head.

"I'd like to see you try!" Yugi picks up a stapler from a desk and lobs it at the rod, knocking it out of Marik's hands. "Ah ha!" He then grabs the battery powered hot glue gun on the shelf beside the door and flips the on switch. A little red light glows on the top of the gun. "Eat glue, Marik!"

Marik sweeps a glance around the room and grabs another glue gun. "En garde, Pharaoh! ATTTAAAAAAAACCCCKKK!" He pulls the trigger, and a thin stream of melted glue dribbles from the heated tip to the floor. "Uhh… hmmm… well then…" He grabs a handful of rubber bands and begins shooting them at Yugi. "ATTTAAAACCCCKKK!"

"NOOOOOO!" (Matrix Moment!) Yugi dives to the ground just moment before the wall behind him is spattered with rubber bands. Stacks of papers go flying, cups of water and paint splash across the floor and desks, brushes and markers roll all over the room. "I'VE BEEN HIT! CURSE YOU MARIK! CALL THE IRS! I'M MELTING! MELTING!" His head slams against the plastic tiles, silencing him.

Marik blinks, clearly stunned. "…Freak! Mwaahaaahaaahaaa! YAY! I have defeated the Pharaoh! I rule over all of Egypt! WEEEEEEE!" He prances around the room, pausing only momentarily to kick Yugi, before he heads towards the door. CRACK! "Ooo…pretty emus…" He runs right into it and passes out.

The sound of nearby footsteps rouses him from his self-pity-party. He glances at the clock- 8:02 AM… _Right on time for homeroom… What joyous rhapsody! What ho! Footsteps! A visitor! Psh! Prolly Mai comin' to beg me to take her back. "Oh but Joey, he's just horrible in bed!" Stupid bitch… _The classroom door swings open and shuts seconds later. Joey lies still on his back, staring directly at the foam-like ceiling above him, counting the little holes. He hears nothing more of the mysterious visitor. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, he sits up. "Mai, don' even-…" He stops, staring at the bewildered figure leaning against the wall. _Uh…__ O-k… well, unless Mai got a sex change overnight, I highly doubt that this is her… _

"Oh, yes, sure, there's _such_ a strong resemblance… Really, Mutt, do you honestly think that I look like your girlfriend- or should I say EX-girlfriend? And don't even think for a second that** _I_ **would even be your girlfriend, that's just disgusting… Not that, if I were actually a girl, I'd even be interested in a slob like you." Seto sits down at the desk in front of Joey and sighs. "But, unfortunately, I'm not here to throw insults…" Joey sits up and stares at him cautiously. _Is he actually… nervous? ACK!_

He sighs, feeling his defeat multiply. What could he do now? What would it even matter? "Just tell me what you're doin' here, Kaiba, an let me get back to my pity party." Walls of ice build up around him.

_This guy's more messed up than I thought… Small talk is useless. I should just spit it out already…I'll just be… frank… _"Look, here's the deal… I really like Seren and I know for a fact she really likes me, but she's afraid of what you'll think and/or do when you find out about us and what happened last night and…" His eyes widen as he realizes what he just spit out. "Shit…"_ uh… oops! That did not come out the way it was supposed to…this is NOT the time to be screwing things up… Ooo uh… shoulda worded that differently, lol!_

For just a moment, Joey's breath catches in his throat. _H-happened?__ Last night? _"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BABY SISTER!"

She just keeps on running, not thinking, barely even breathing. _Get away, get away, I just have to run, get as far away as possible, just keep going, don't look back…_ (A/N: just keep running… just keep running… just keep running running running… sorry, will stop now…) Even in the early hours of the morning, the hallways are dark and lonely. Staring at the floor, tears dropping at her feet as she runs, she doesn't even notice the figure at the end. Her footsteps echo erratically as she stumbles into a trashcan. Arms reach out from the darkness to steady her, to comfort her. "It'll be okay… everything will work out in the end…" She turns to face him, tears ever flowing, never seeming to cease. And, without another word, he pulls her to him.

"I don't understand... He's never hit me before... O, what have I done" she sobs into his shoulder. _Tick…Tick…Tick…_ The clock above them drearily counts the anguished tears with rhythmic, militaristic precision. _Drop…Drop…Drop…_ It's 30 tears before his steady breathing is interrupted- 30 lonesome tears…

"It's nothing you've done... He's just a very violent person..." He strokes her arm. "Yea, sure he seems like a nice guy, but really... He's been in juvie twice for aggravated assault... He used to brag about you to us, how the great Joey Wheeler could have any girl he chose… Mai, he was only using you…there's so much you don't know about the _real_ Joey Wheeler... You... You just don't know him like I do..."

"U-Using me! …ARGH, NO! I… I don't believe it… I **_won'_t** believe you Tristan- You've **_always _**been jealous of him, you've always hated him! Why should I believe a word you say! **_You_** don't know him like**_ I_** do... I loved him. I STILL love him! Get away from me"

"Mai... I'm just trying to protect you..." He put his arms around her from behind, laying his head on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Joey. I'll take care of you..." His grip tightens.

"God, Tristan! I'm really not in the mood..." She pushes him away.

"Aw, come on, you know I don't bite... mmm..." He runs his fingers through her hair.

"Tristan, come on, please! Not right now- augh, let go, you're hurting me! Come on, let go now or..."

"Or what? Doesn't look like your ex gives a damn what I do with you now..." He kisses her neck.

"What the fuck is wrong with you! I said not right now! Goddamit Tristan, get the fuckin hell off me now"

"Geeze, alright already…" Tristan lets go and backs away a bit.

"Tristan, I told you already, I'm not in the mood, come on, why won't you listen to me? … We… we can't do this anymore…"

"Whaddaya mean we can't do this anymore? Come on, Mai, it's over with Joey!"

"Not for me!" Screaming at him with tears in her eyes, she turns away. "THREE YEARS, Tristan! This has been going on _behind his back_ for THREE YEARS now! Do you know how long he and I were going out? DO YOU? 6 years…** _6 years_** and in the last few hours, he's thrown it all away…"

"Look, Mai, I'm sorry it happened and I know you really liked him and whatever, but you've got to let it go!"

Her back hits the wall as she leans backwards, and she slides to the floor, bewildered. "I don't believe what I'm hearing… Let it go! LET IT GO! Pain like this doesn't just _magically_ go away, Tristan. You've hurt enough people; you should maybe have noticed that by now- unless you're just that much of a conceited bastard to care about a girl's feelings! Tristan, I KNOW what went on that night at your house… How could you use her like that! She trusted you, and look what you've done!"

"Look, what I do is MY business! Just like you and your little 'after-school job' over at _Roxanne's_!" He smirks at her startled gasp. "Yea, I know all about that! Hey, a guy's gotta get out every now and then! You and your slutty little friends put on a lil show over there, don't you! What would your precious Joey think if he knew, I wonder…"

"Tristan… I need the money, you know that… it's decent pay… you know Catholic school's not cheap…" FYI, Catholic school girls are sooo much dirtier than public school girls, believe it or not… " I should know, I've been in Catholic school since kindergarten… She adds, quietly, "Besides, I actually think he'd enjoy it…"

"Yea, sure, whatever…" He turns away. Another 30 seconds pass, of nothing but silence. The clock is dead, the exit signs glow eerily in the stairwell. She holds her breath, waiting for something other than "yea, sure whatever", an apathetic response in an already tense situation. He sighs, then turns back to face Mai. "So… what now?"

"…I honestly don't know…"

"O-k… Come on." He takes her hand and pulls her up. "Let's go."

"Whoa… ooo… my skull… where the hell am I?" The room is surprisingly pitch black. He tries to lift his arm, but it's tightly bound to a chair.

"Moronville, population: you!"

"What the hell was that! Are… Are you my conscience?"

"Yea, dumbass! Have a cookie!" A cold, hard disk is shoved into his mouth outta nowhere.

"Dude! What the fuck! …ooo, yum, oatmeal…" The lights suddenly flash on, temporarily blinding him. "Damn you, conscience… hey, how'd you do that anyway? Hey, conscience, am I dead?"

"No, but you will be!"

As his eyes finally adjust to the light, he catches a glimpse of his captor. "Gasp! Bakura! You're alive!"

He smirks. "Yup. Miss me much, sweetie!"

"Don't call me that you Forker! I don't know what you're up to, but I shall thwart your evil plans, wench!"

"O, come off it Pharaoh, you know you love me "! Come on, admit it! Maybe I won't go so hard on you…"

"Oo DON'T TOUCH ME!... No, I don't love you, I've never loved you, I don't know who ever told you I loved you… And might I ask why I'm bound to this lovely blue plastic chair?"

"Huh? What!" His lower lip begins to tremble and his eyes fill with false tears. "You don't even like me? It… It's because I'm a Brit, isn't it! O well, all the more reason to kill you! And a slow, painful death it will be, ooo yes… You've noticed that you are tied to a chair, which is in the center of the room…"

"Yes… hey, can I have another cookie?"

"-" sure… As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted… Now, above you are 2 large boxes, each containing 4 smaller boxes. We're going to play a little game…"

"A game! I love games! Pick me!"

" -" Dammit, baka, you get fuckin' dumber every second… In each little box is a different… _prize_… You will choose a larger box, and then a smaller one… and whichever box you choose, you get to keep what's inside!"

"Ooo, I do hope I get a whistle…" He jumps up, accidentally ripping apart his bindings. "Whoopsie! Did I do **_that_**?"

"Ya know, Pharaoh, you always take the fun outta everything…"

It's Yugi's turn to smirk. "Well, I try my hardest…Hey, ya got anymore of those cookies, I'm starving… and pass the milk."

"Like 'em? My mommy made them for me this morning, they're my favorite… ooo, hey, it's almost 9! Time for the Fresh Prince Marathon! Forget the game, we'll play later…" He pulls a TV remote from his pocket and turns on the classroom TV.

"Ooo, sweet! This is my favorite episode!" He sits back down, and for the next 10 hours their eyes are glued to the screen.

_Where the hell did he go? Ah, who cares, that's not all that important… but what if he was just using me! Or what if he doesn't like me anymore! Did he mean what he said last night? Did I? Or were we both just caught up in the moment? _She sighs longingly. "No way…" Reality finally hits her. "HOLY SHIT! I JUST SLEPT WITH SETO KAIBA!"_ Dammit, what's Joey gonna do when he finds out, what the hell am I supposed to do now, ooo, Joey's gonna be soooo pissed…_ "Damn Damn Damn!" She rushes to collect her scattered clothing and get dressed. OO _Um… o-k, how did my underwear get all the way over to the other side of the room… DAMN! Joey is soo gonna kill me! There's only one way this could get any worse, and I'm hoping to god it just doesn't… Shit! How bout if Joey just never finds out about any of this? Ugh, I'll figure that out when the time comes… For now, must go find Seto and talk this through…_ She closes the Green Room door behind her. _Where could he possibly be at a time like this? _

Seto, sheepish for once, takes a deep breath. "Um…"

"KAIBA, YOU BASTARD, YOU ARE SO FUCKIN' DEAD!" Joey kicks the wall. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

"Um… do you really want me to answer that… Joey? …" Joey looks at him. It's the first time that Seto Kaiba had ever called him by his first name. Not Mutt. Not Wheeler. But _Joey_… "…Joey, I couldn't help it… We got caught up in the moment, ok? And I love her… Why do you think I'm here now? …She was really worried that you'd be angry with her… She really respects you, Joey…"

Joey just stares, the anger subsiding. He remembers a time when he first fell in love… She was the sexy, independent, new girl in town, and a model… He was the fun-loving goofball… Yet somehow they both knew that they were perfect for each other, even if it seemed… unlikely. _Yea, but look how that turned out… I don't wanna see Seren get hurt!_ "Kaiba… It doesn' matter whether or not you love her. It isn' enough. It doesn' mean she can't get hurt… I don' wanna see my baby sista get hurt…"

"…Like you were?" Joey can hear the sympathy in his voice. _I guess even he's been hurt before…_

He turns away. "Yea… like I was…" The barrier lifted. "I can' believe Mai would do somethin' like that… after all we've been through togetha!"

"…Sometimes people change… and there's nothing anyone can do about it… You think you know a person, but one day… they surprise you…" And the suppressed emotions poured through…

"Yea… it was a surprise all right… I can' believe it was only yesterday…I really thought she was da one… guess I was wrong, huh? …hmm… Seren's all I got left now…"

"I know how that is…Mokuba and I are alone too… but at least your parents are still alive…" Bitterness slips through, just barely undetected.

"Eh? What about dat richie-rich stepfather a yours?"

"…Damn bastard doesn't care about anything besides power and money…" He looks away. "You're not the only one with someone to protect, Joey… I don't want to see my brother get hurt… and I don't want to hurt your sister."

"…Do ya really love her? I mean like, really really love her?"

"Of course I do…"

"Hmm… " He sighs. "I guess I can't protect Seren forever, right? …Be good to her." Joey lies down and closes his eyes.

Seto turns to leave. "I will… Thank you." And with that he shuts the door behind him.

**END CHAPTER 6**

Hey guys, thanks for reviewing! Mira, um… You Know Who is NOT Seto! Ewwww-P He can be your Seto, but you know what I think of him! (He's Tristan cuz I just don't like him…) And I didn't know u said that, that was actually one of my thoughts during one of those days… If you don't know, don't ask! And about that other stuff- that's from a story thing I wrote back in 9th grade… (Ooo, "What Ho!" -D lol, remember?) Mariks1andonly, thanks for reviewing. I can't read your story right now (I'm very strict when it comes to not reading Seto/Serenity stories when I'm working on my own! Heck, I try not to read anyone else's stories while I'm working, no matter what they're about!) but I promise that I will read and review as soon as I finish this fanfic. Court 12, you'll just have to continue reading to find out! Thanks everyone, glad you like it so far (though after this chapter… fv ), and I'm off to edit the last few chapters… And I noticed something really weird… you know in Chapter 3, with Seren Tristan in that room? How the hell did he get away with that with his parents right upstairs? It took me half a year to realize that... oy… and "Steen", wherever you are out there, DIE! Lol, if you don't know, don't ask… Whoa… and I made Tristan's words come true without even realizing it- "There's always been another girl- there have been a lot of other girls!" (yup, that's Tristan… or the guy he's kinda based on at least…) omg, and another thing I'd like to mention- isn't it sooo convenient how nicely everyone gets along? " all we need is popcorn, beer of the root, and a cd of nothing but "kumbaya" and the hippy flower song (Sekai Ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana by SMAP. If you haven't heard it yet, find it and listen to it!)… lol!


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